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Peer Reviews Snow Angel By David Lindsey-Abaire
Directed by Jess Jung Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents are copyright © 2007, Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
David Lindsey-Abaire's Snow Angel could have been commissioned for Walden Theatre, so perfectly does it suit the young actors in this company. For it provides them an opportunity to take a break from the steady diet of classics that is Walden's trademark and explore the dynamics of contemporary teenage life. After a blizzard, a group of high-school age youths enjoy their snow day, except for one girl who is somewhat estranged from the rest, Frida. She encounters a mysterious and enigmatic girl named Eva making a snow angel. Their encounter sets in motion a series of episodes that illuminate the shifting dynamics among the group and raises questions about the power of imagination. Although the script at times may seem slight, the author limits the scenario to a lean one-act structure, and the director, Jess Jung, stages the action briskly, with an eye towards capturing the humor as well as the mystery. She also displays a knack for moving bodies around a small stage for maximum effect, shaping her cast into a true ensemble; working as a cohesive unit, they fill the spare stage with focused energy. The actors find every laugh in a very funny, fast-paced evening, but in a few instances their delivery of dialogue seemed a little rushed. Still, watch closely and you will see that they also discover all of the small, telling details that bring the heart of each character to life. No one performance over-dominates because all of the actors seem so in tune with one another, but the play naturally gives highlighted moments to Ali Burch and Sally Eichenberger as Eva and Frida, and they make the most of those moments.
Snow
Angel Dec. 6-15, 2007 Posted Dec. 7, 2007
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